Police in Vasai have registered a case against six people, including the sarpanch and gramsevak of Kalamb gram panchayat, over the alleged destruction of mangroves to clear government land for a mobile tower in Kalamb, Vasai West.
The case was registered by Arnala Sagari police after a complaint from Santosh Mate, a circle officer in the revenue department. According to the complaint, soil was allegedly dumped on land along a creek without prior permission from the revenue department. The filling is alleged to have damaged mangroves and obstructed the natural flow of creek water.
The government land had been leased to mobile infrastructure company Indus for 10 years for the installation of a mobile tower. The police case concerns the alleged unauthorised soil-filling activity carried out to prepare the site. The supplied report does not state whether the tower has been installed or whether the company was involved in the alleged violations.
The six accused include local representatives and officials associated with the Kalamb gram panchayat. Their alleged roles and the specific charges against each person will be determined through the police investigation. The case has been registered under the Environment Protection Act and Section 326(c) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Mangroves along creeks perform an important physical function in coastal settlements by helping maintain the relationship between land and tidal water channels. In this case, the complaint specifically alleges that soil dumping obstructed the creek’s natural flow, making the incident relevant not only as an environmental matter but also as a question of how government land is prepared and administered for urban infrastructure.
The episode also brings attention to the institutional chain involved in small infrastructure projects. A telecom tower may occupy a limited site, but preparing that site can involve land leasing, revenue permissions, local-body oversight and environmental safeguards. The allegations registered in Vasai concern the claimed failure to secure prior revenue approval before altering the creek-side land.
The police action follows the revenue department’s complaint and does not establish guilt. The allegations will have to be tested during the investigation and any subsequent legal proceedings. The supplied report does not mention arrests, the quantity of soil dumped, the extent of mangrove loss, or whether any restoration or removal order has been issued.
The next steps will depend on the investigation by Arnala Sagari police and the action taken by the concerned revenue and environmental authorities regarding the alleged filling, the affected mangroves and the creek’s water flow.
